Rise of the Snake Goddess by Jenny Moke
Synopsis:
After being snubbed by her college’s archaeology department for an honor she rightfully earned, Sam is hell-bent on proving her worth to her misogynistic department head. So when an opportunity presents itself to solve the hidden meaning behind a symbol found inside a cave in Greece, Sam is all over it, and she’s bringing Bennett and Jo with her for the cross-Atlantic trip. Once on the island of Crete, Sam finds a treasure she never expected―the golden girdle of an ancient and powerful goddess―and she can’t resist its siren call, or the accolades she would win for discovering it. But before she can take credit for the find, the girdle is stolen and the island is hit with a series of earthquakes that don’t feel quite coincidental.
Soon Sam, Bennett, and Jo are embroiled in a wild hunt―one that takes them to tiny island shops, a glamorous high-stakes auction, and a fiery, near-death experience―to find the girdle before someone can use it to raise the ancient goddess from her slumber. An unexpected heist, a terrifying trek through a labyrinth, and a fight to the death with the Minotaur itself lead to a final standoff she and her friends won’t soon forget―one that might just break up Sam and Bennett for good.
Review:
Rise of the Snake Goddess is the 2nd installment in the Samantha Knox series. Once again, Sam and her friends Jo and Bennet embark on an international archeological adventure. This time, Sam discovers a cursed girdle from a vengeful goddess. When it’s stolen, they follow violent, unnatural earthquakes to the artifact and try to stop an ancient catastrophe from happening again.
Despite a couple infuriating, misogynistic characters that make you want to slap them, I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced sequel. It’s also a fully stand-alone story, which is nice as it’s been a while since I read the previous book and don’t remember all of the details. This was a fantastic thriller with a fun mystery and fantasy element. The climactic finale was fun and exciting. And I look forward to more Sam Knox adventures!